Western Kansas world., 1887-12-10

cultural implements, amounting in tho ag-
gregate to 1,214, ,023, leaving ,623, 3,0@ persons
employed in such manufacturing industries
as arc claimed to be benefited by high tar
if. To these the appeal is made to save thelI
employment and maintain their wages by re
sisting change. There should be no dispos-
ton to answer such suggestions by the ale
cation that they are in a minority among
those who labor, and therefore, should fore
60 an advantage in the interest of low prices
for the majority; their compensation as It
may be affected by the operation OF tarid
laws,should at all times be scrupulously kept
in view; and yet with slight reflection they
will not overlook the fact that they are con-
sumers with the rest. They too, have their
supply from their earnings, and that the
prices of the necessaries of life as well as
the amount of their wages, will regulate the
measure of their welfare and comfort, but
the reduction of taxation demanded should
be 80 measured as not to necessitate or JUS
tfy either the loss of employmentby the
workingmen nor the lessening of his wages
and the profits still remaining to the man.
ufacturer after q necessary readjustment,
should furnish no excuse for the sacrifice of
the interests of his employees either in their
opportunity to work or in the diminution -
their compensation. Nor can the worker in
manufactures fail to understand that while
high tariff is claimed to be necessary to
allow the payment of remunerative wages,
it certainly results in very large increase
in the price of nearly all sorts of manufac-
lures, which, in almost countless forms, be
needs for the use of himself and his family.
he receives at the desk of his employer his
wages, and perhaps before he reaches his
home is obliged, in purchase for family use
of an article which embraces his own labor,
to return in the payment of the increase in
price which the tariff permits, the hard
earned compensation of many days of toll.
THE FARMER AND WOOL GROWER.
The farmer and the agriculturist who
manufactures nothing but who pay the in
creased price which the tariff imposes upon
every agricultural implement upon all he
wears and upon all he uses and owns except
the increase of his focks ana herds and
such things as his husbandry produces from
the soil is invited to maintain the present
situation, and he is told high duty on i'm
posted wool is necessary for the benefit of
those who have sheep to shear in order that
the price of their wool may be increased.
They of conrse are not reminded that the
farmer who has no sheep is by this scheme
obliged in his purchase of clothing and
woolen goods to pay tribute to the his
fellow farmer as well as to the manufacturer
and merchant. Nor is any mention made
of the fact that sheep owners themselves
and their households must wear clothing
and use other articles manufactured from
the wool they sell at tariff prices and thus
this as consumers must return their
share of the increased price to tradesmen. I
think it may be fairly assumed that a large
proportion of the sheep owned by the farmers
throughout the country, are found in small
focks numbering from twenty y-fveto fifteen.
The duty on the grade of imported wool
which these sheep yield is 10 cents for each
pound, if of the value of 80 cents or less,
and IL cents if of the value of more than 80
cents. If the liberal estimate of six pounds
be allowed for each fleece, the duty thereon
would be 60 or 20 cents, and this may be
taken as the utmost enhancement of its price
to the farmer by reason of this duty.
Eighteen dollars would thus represent the
increased price of the wool from twenty-five
sheep, and $36 that from the wool of fifty
sheep and at present values this addition
would amount to about one third of it's
price. If upon its sale the farmer receives
this or less tariff profit, the wool leaves his
hands charged with precisely that sum,
which in all its changes will adhere to it,
until it reaches the consumer. When manu-
featured into cloth and other goods and ma
terial for use its cost is not only increased to.
the extent of the farmers' tariff profit, hut /.